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San Francisco school board directs staff to remove Arnautoff murals from public view after hourlong public comment
Summary
After more than an hour of public testimony from alumni, artists, students and tribal representatives, the San Francisco Board of Education approved an amended motion directing staff to develop a CEQA project to remove from public view the Victor Arnautoff murals at George Washington High School, prioritizing painting-over if it would not cause undue delay.
The San Francisco Unified School District Board of Education on June 25 authorized staff to develop a project under the California Environmental Quality Act to remove from public view the Arnautoff mural series at George Washington High School, following more than an hour of public comment and a lengthy board discussion over preservation, student harm and cost.
Supporters of keeping the murals, including conservation professionals and alumni, argued the mural series — painted by Victor Arnautoff and preserved as historic artworks — should be contextualized, not destroyed. "The destruction of art never advances dialogue," said a letter read into the record from the president of the San Francisco Art Institute. Several speakers urged alternatives such as interpretive signage, multimedia displays or projection-based approaches to add context and teaching…
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